Maitlynn Mossolle's Portfolio
Junior year, in 2012, I was in a creative writing class taught by Mrs. Shelley Job. The whole point of the class was to become better writers and learn how to better creatively express ourselves in words. Needless to say, it definitely worked for me. Whenever we would get assigned to write a short story we would have a few days to write it in our journals then, on the day it was due, we would circle up and read them aloud to the class.
While classmates were reading, we had to fill out little half sheets of paper called “Response Sheets.” These sheets each had four things for you to fill in that you liked, noticed, wondered, or would like to suggest to four different people about their writing. They were meant for you and everyone else to be able to get and give feedback on the stories. Once everyone would finish reading, we would turn the response sheets in to Mrs. Job and she would then go through and share the responses to the class so that we would all know what was enjoyed or what could be improved in our writing. It was nice to be able to hear from my own classmates what they thought of my piece because teenagers usually do listen to people their own age a little more than if an adult were to give them constructive criticism.
When I get a job in the journalism field, I am going to have to be able to take criticism on my writing and use it to really perfect my craft. People give you their opinions on your writing because they want you to be able to have it as good as it can possibly be. Also, in that field my coworkers could possibly ask me to either proofread or give my input on their article or piece of writing. If I did not obtain the skill to be able to give them feedback in a positive, professional manner, I would not have a job. These response sheets really did give me the framework and skills to be more open-minded to what others may say about my work.
Not only in a professional sense will the skill to give and accept feedback in a positive way help me, but also personally. People are always going to have something to say about the things I say and do and I feel that I have really grown in the fact that I am more open-minded and accepting to other people’s opinions. In the same ways the response sheets will help me in the professional world and in accepting what people have to say, they will and already have helped me express my own opinions to people in a more positive way. In life, you’re always going to have to give someone news they may or may not want to hear and these response sheets are just another way to understand that what you have to say can ultimately help that person. It all really depends on your attitude and how well you communicate your feedback to and from other people. Staying positive is one of my strong points which will only help me in this specific skill.
